O’Donnell, a Stoughton resident, is a 911 dispatcher in Holbrook. She has a bachelor’s degree in management and spent 30 years working in the healthcare industry.

A month ago O’Donnell learned that the Brockton Emergency Management Agency was looking for volunteers and went to the high school library for an information session.

“I signed up that night,” O’Donnell said. “I’m a big believer in giving back.”

This spring, the agency has made a concerted effort to recruit as many volunteers as possible for its Community Response Team, a program organized through the Federal Emergency Management Agency that educates residents in basic disaster response skills like fire safety, search and rescue and vaccine distribution.

BEMA added approximately 30 new volunteers in the past month to its existing roster of 10.

“We would not be able to accomplish our mission without the dedication of our volunteers,” BEMA Director Stephan Hooke said.

“It’s a wide array of people,” he added. “Everybody’s welcome. Everybody serves a purpose. In a disaster situation there are all types of needs.”

O’Donnell is one of approximately 40 volunteers who started meeting last weekend for disaster preparedness training sessions. Earlier this month, the volunteers met with BEMA, Board of Health and police officials to practice giving out vaccines for outbreaks such as anthrax.

The agency is planning monthly sessions at least through the end of the year, Hooke said. Volunteers will be trained in the use of the Incident Command System, shelter operations, emergency medication dispensing, basic first aid, emergency communications and other subjects.

The frequent training boosts volunteers’ knowledge base and also keep them from growing bored and losing interest in the program, Hooke said.

“Thankfully, we don’t have disasters every day,” Hooke said. “We want to keep them active.”

During times of non-emergencies, team members and volunteers will plan, train and encourage residents and business owners to prepare for disasters. They will also be called on to help during parades and other large-scale community events.

Brockton maintains a large supply of water, meals ready to eat, shelter supplies, cots, blankets, generators and other emergency items, Hooke said, in various undisclosed locations throughout the city. BEMA can also call on local public safety partners, the state and the federal government for assistance.

O’Donnell said BEMA staff collected her cell, work and home phone numbers, email address and also know where she lives, in case O’Donnell is called into action.

There is no doubt her background makes her an ideal candidate for the role, O’Donnell said, but even without her healthcare and emergency dispatch experience, she said she would feel comfortable responding to disasters.

Page 2 of 2 - “The beauty of this program is that they are going to train you,” O’Donnell said. “You follow their orders and you’re good to go.”